Pumping apparatus for well pipe line



May 1, 1956 L. H. LEWIS PUMPING APPARATUS FQR WELL PIPE LINE Filed Feb. 17, 1955 fizz Basia) f2. 4210025 United States Patent PUMPING APPARATUS FOR WELL PIPE LINE Leslie H. Lewis, East Orleans, Mass.

Application February 17, 1955, Serial No. 488,891

Claims. (Cl. 103-180) This invention relates to well pumping apparatus and particularly to a pumping assembly used temporarily in a driven well pipe.

After a jointed well pipe having a screened drilling point is driven down to water, it is customary to test or sample the volume of water available and clear fine sand from around the screened point at the lower end of the pipe. For this purpose it is customary to use a plunger type of lift pump having a cup washer fitting t ghtly inside the well pipe. For various reasons, including the cost of the pump assembly, it is desirable to remove the assembly after the testing and clearing operation.

Despite the desirability of recovering the pump assembly it has been found that the cup washer not only traps water above the assembly, requiring the drill men to lift the full volume of water in the well, but, in addition, the cup washer tends to catch at the pipe oints and fold over or jam. Furthermore, where part of the assembly is attached to the pipe by means of a long handled tool extending down to the point it is time consuming to reinsert the tool after test pumping for detaching the valve part. uous effort may required to recover the expensive pump assembly.

Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a pump assembly which is easy to attach and remove, and which prevents jamming of the aforementioned cup washer and trapping of water above the as sembly.

The present invention comprises a pumping valve assembly including two housings detachably connected to each other, one housing carrying the aforementioned cup washer and the other housing having a sleeve pro ecting beyond the end of said other housing so as to press the cup washer inwardly out of contact with the well p pe when the two housings are connected, while permitting normal operation of the cup washer when the housings are detached, whereby, with the housings connected, the pumping assembly may be lifted out of the well pipe without the cup washer contacting at pipe joints and without lifting water through the well pipe.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pipe line with a driving point on the lower end and with parts in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the lower end of the pipe line containing pumping apparatus comprising upper and lower check valves threaded together; and

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the valves disconnected.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a driving point 1 having screened openings 2 and sections of pipe 3 interconnected by joints 4. A threaded ring 5, having a tapered seat 6, is screwed in the joint 4 between the pipe 3 and point 1 prior to driving the well. After the well has been driven to the desired depth it is customary to Consequently several hours of stren- 2,743,676 Patented May 1, 1956 pump out the sand anddirt until the water flows cleanly.

The pumping apparatus comprises upper and lower check valves comprising housings 8 and 9 containing ball valves 10 and 11 seating downwardly to prevent downward flow through the housings but lifting in response to upward pressure to permit upward flow. Threaded on the lower end of the lower housing is a collar 12 which is tapered to fit the seat 6. Surrounding the lower housing is a cup-shaped sleeve 13 whose outer diameter is slightly less than the inner diameter of the pipe 3. The bottom of the sleeve has an opening to receive the threaded shank 14 of the housing 9 and it is clamped against the bottom of the housing by means of the collar 12, a gasket 15 preferably being interposed between the collar and the sleeve. The sleeve 13 has drain openings 20.

The construction of the upper check valve is similar to that of the lower but differs in the following respects. Instead of the sleeve 13it has a cup washer 16 formed of leather or other suitable material and secured to the bottom of the housing 8 by means of a collar 17 threaded on the lower end of the casing, the cup washer bearing on the inside of the pipe 3 and serving to pump water upwardly like an ordinary plunger pump. The lower end of the housing 8 has a threaded bore to thread over the upper end 18 of the lower casing.

After the parts shown in Fig. l have been driven to the desired depth the pumping assembly is lowered into the pipe line and the tapered collar 12 is wedged into the seat 6 of the ring 5 sufliciently to prevent the lower valve housing 8 from rotating when the upper valve housing 8 is rotated to unthread it from the lower housing 9. Then the upper valve is moved up and down as a plunger to pump sand out of the well and test the volume of water available. When the plunger is lifted the cup washer 16 draws water upwardly through the lower valve into the space between the two housings and when the plunger is lowered the water between the two valves is forced upwardly through the upper valve.

A sectioned handle 21 attached to the upper housing 8 is used to lower the assembly in the pipe, seat the collar 12 in the ring 5, attach and detach the upper housing, unseat the collar and lift the assembly out of the pipe.

After the well has been tested the upper valve housing 8 is again threaded over the end 18 of the lower valve housing 9 preparatory to lifting the pumping apparatus out of the pipe line. As the two housings are threaded together the upper end of sleeve 13 folds the periphery of the cup washer 16 inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2. Thus while lifting the apparatus out of the pipe line the cup washer 16 is held out of contact with the pipe line so as not to catch on the joints between pipe sections and so as not to lift the water in the pipe 3.

After the valve assembly is removed any pump may be used in the well pipe. If a jet pump is used, whereby a narrow pipe is inserted in the well pipe 3, the seat 6 of the ring 5 serves as a stop to prevent the narrower pipe from being pushed down into the point 1 wherein jet action would be ineifective owing to the openings 2.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For pumping out a well pipe line, a. pumping valve assembly including housings detachably connected together, one housing having a circumferential cup washer bearing on the inside of the pipe line for pumping upwardly, and the other housing having a sleeve projecting upwardly beyond the upper end of said other housing for pressing said cup washer inwardly out of contact with tlrel'ipipe'iline when the housings are connected together,

whereby the pumping valve assembly may be easily lifted out of the pipe line without the cup washer catching on pipe joints and without lifting water. V

2. \FOI =pu'1nping out afiwellpipe line, upper and lower check valves :including vhousings detachably connected I lifting water.

3. For pumping out a well .pipelin'e having at its lower end-a seat 'taperingdownwardly, upper and lower check valves including housings detachably connected to- :get-her, each housing containing a valve which permits upward flow but checks :downward flow, the lower h'ousing-having atapered lower :end adapted to wedge in 'said seat, the upper-housing carrying a circumferential cup washer bearing on the :inside of the pipe line for ,,pump-' ing upwardly, and a sleeve 'on the lower housing pro- ,jecting upwardly beyond the :upper end of the lower housing for pressing said cup washer :inwardly out of contact with the pipeline when the two housings are connected together, whereby, both housings may be easily lifted out of the-pipe .line without the cup washer catching o pipe joints and without lifting water.

'- 4. For ,purnpingouta :well pipe line having at'its lower end a seat tapering'downwardly, upper and lower check valves including housings threaded together, each housing containing a valve which permits upward flow but checks downward flow, the lower housing having a tapered lower end adapted to wedge in said seat, the upper housing having a circumferential cup washer bearing on the inside of the pipe line for pumping upwardly, and

a sleeve on the lowerhousing projecting upwardly beyond the upper end of the lower housing for pressing said cup washer inwardly out of contact with the :pipe line when the two housings are threaded together, whereby both housings rn'ay 'be -easily lifted out of the pipe line without the cup washer catching on pipe joints and without lifting water. 7

5. For pumping out a well pipe line "having at its lower end a ring with a seat tapering downwardly, upper and lower check valves including housings detachably connected together, each housing containing a valve which permits-upwardflow butuchecks downward flow, the upper housing having a circumfer ential cup washer hearing on the inside of the pipe line for pum ping upwardly, a sleeve on the lower housing projecting upwardly 'beyond the upper :end of the lower housing for pressing said cup washer inwardly out of contact with the pipe line when the two housings are connected togetherfth'e lower housing having on its lower end an extension of reduced diameter, and a collar detachably secured to said extension, the outer periphery of the collar tapering downwardly ;to fit said seat, and said sleev'e "having on its lower end an inturned flange clamped between said collar and lower housing, whereby both housings-may be easily lifted out of the pipe line without the cup washer catching on pipe joints and without lifting water.

No references cited 

